Basket construction



Oct. 31, 1933. J. M. WALLACE BASKET CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 2e, 1952 l I I 'l-IHTIHIIHh INVENTOR- .fzj Wilde@ Patented Oct. 31, 1933 I y i v ,y

Uirr. s'rA'rEs Pri'rlnrry oFgFIcE i 1,933,288 BASKET CONSTRUCTION John M. Wallace, Oakville, Ontario, Canada Application November 26, 1932 Serial No. 644,434

Claims.r (Cl. 217-124) This invention relates to basket constructions forming a part of the same, wherein Fig. 1 is a and more particularly to improvements in the perspective View of a basket vconstruction emj construction of baskets of the hamper type. bodying the invention. v In most types of baskets used for packing Fig.'2 is a plan View of a top incorporating the 5 fruits, vegetables, and the like, the topgor cover principles of the present invention. 60

member is so'secured to the body of the basket v Fig. 3 is anenlarged section taken substantialthat under the rigors of travel the top shifts 1y on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

across the mouth of the basket to a greater .or Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken substantialless' extent,- with the result that fruit or other ly on line 4--4 ofv Fig. 1.

contents become damaged thereby, .such damage Referring now to the drawing, 10v indicates 65.

being knowncommonly as rim-cut. generally a. basket membenwhile 11 indicates -An object of the present invention is to progenerally a top member associated therewith. vide in a basket construction a top or cover The basket portion 10 of the vdevice is made up which of itself prevents movement of itself across of a number of 'splints 12 so shapedas to form 1-5 a' basket when `properly secured thereto. the sides of the basket and also the bottomv there- '(0,'

vl2() acter.

--Another object of the present invention is to of, as is common in this type of construction. provide a cover having the foregoing characteris- Use'is made of an outside hoop 13 lat the bottom tics, which cover is so constructed as to be capaof the device, and an intermediate hoop y14, and ble of use with baskets of conventional chara top hoop 15. In conjunction with'the top hoop V 15, use is made of an inner top hoop 16 between 75 In accordance with the present invention, a which the ends of the splints 12 are rmly sebasket is made up in the usual fashion of splints cured by Ameans of fastening members 17.- AS orstaves which form preferably yboth the bottom will be seen by reference to Fig'. .4, the tops of and sides of the baskettogether with hoops for the outer and inner hoops 15 and 16` and the holding the splints in position. More particuends of the splints 12 lie in substantially a com- S0 larly, the basket is formed around its top in such mon plane. The purpose of such arrangement fashion that the ends of thesplints terminate will be described in detail hereinafter. substantially flush with the tops of inner and l AThe top member 11 of the present invention outer hoops. In connection with a basket of this may be constructed in a number of different ways character, use is made of a top or cover member so far as the slats utilized therein is concerned. 35 made up of substantially nat strips of material In the present illustration, use is made of. a pair secured to a major or outer hoop member which of slats 20 of suchsize as to extend almosten- -extends downwardly from one surface of the top. tirely over the entire area of the top member. In Immediately adjacent to this major hoop mernaddition, use is made of a slat 21 extending across ber, and inside thereof, isa second hoop member, the two slats 20k and beyond the confines of the 90 which preferably is made of material slightly top member proper. These two slats 20 are sethicker than that of the outside hoop. The curedby means off fastening members 22 to insecond or inside hoop does not extend downwardner and outer hoops 23 and 24 respectively. ly from the top members as great a distance as The inner hoop 23, as shown in Fig-3, is thicker the outside hoop. In addition, use is made of a than the outer hoop 24, but does not extend 95 long slat member extending diametrically across downwardly below the slats a distance as great the top to be engaged under the handles secured as that of the outer hoop. The inner hoop should to the basket part of the device. be of a thickness at least as great as the com- The outer and inner hoops of the top member bined thicknesses of the outer hoop 15'of the 45 are of such diameter that the outer member fits basket, and the splintsV 12 immediately adjacent 100 fairly closely around the outside of the outer thereto. The outer hoop 24 should be of an inhoop of the basket. At the same time, the inner ternal diameter substantially thel same as the hoop of the cover rests directly against the top external diameter of the outer hoop 15 so that of the outer hoop of the basket and also upon this Vhoop 24 can fit snugly around the outer 5o the ends of the splints, which are ush with the hoop 15 ofthe basket. The diameter of the inner 105 top of the outer hoop. hoop 23, of course, should be such as to cause Other features, objects andadvantages of the it to nt 'snugly within the connes of the outer present invention will become apparent by refer-l hoop 24.

ence to the following detailed description taken In the use of the present invention, perishable in connection with the accompanying drawing products or other products are packed in the 110 basket in the usual manner. After the required amount -of products have been packed in the basket, the top l1 may be secured in position. This positionis shown in the fragmental section of Fig. 4, wherein the outer hoop 24 of the top member fits snugly around the outside of the outer hoop of the basket. At the same time, the bottomedge of the innenhoop 23 rests directly upon the top of this outer hoop 15 and also upon the ends of the splints l2 which are ilush with the top of the hoop l5. When so positioned,

the top may be secured in place partially by inserting the endsl of the slats 21 under handle members secured to the basket in the conventional manner. Other locking means may be ernployed in conjunction with this arrangement.

With the top so positioned and secured in place, a number of benefits ensue. Since the outer hoop of the top member nts snugly around the outer hoop ofthe basket member, the chances of the top shifting relative to the basket in such` inanneras to injure the contents of the basket are substantially eliminated. VAny shifting of a basket top across the opening vof the basket ordinarily results in the contents of the basket becoming injured by the hoops of the top, which injury is known tothe art as ,rim-cutting. Furthermore, since the inner hoop of the top member rests not only on the outer hoop of the basket'meinber but also upon the ends of the splints, a. considerable part of the strain ordinarily communicateddirectly to and only to theV outer hoop is distributed also to the splints.. Dueto this arrangement, the possibility of they outer hoop becoming sheared from the basket due to a downward pressure by the top member is substantially eliminated. As shown in the drawing, the inner hoop of the top member is of such thickness as tov cause it to rest upon both outer hoop andthe ends of the splints, but -at the same time, it does not contact appreciably with the inner hoop'of the basket. Of course some variation in thickness of the inner hoop of the topl member is permissible, the only requirement being that it shall not be of such thickness as to contact withl the contents of the basket.l 1t may be repeated that the minimum thickness of the innerhoop of the top member should be at least as great as the combined thicknesses of the outer hoop of the -basket and the splints adiacent thereto.

YBy having the basket constructed ,inl the manner shown, that is with the tops of the inner and outerhoops and the ends of the splints lying in substantially a common plane, itis possible to use other types of tops with this basket when occasion may permit, but'at the same time, the top of the present invention can be used therewith admirably. It follows, therefore, that when the contents to be packed are of such nature that rim cutting thereof will spoil the same, a top of the type shown may be used with the results set forth hereinbefore.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a combined basket and top in which combination the top member is so secured to the basket that shifting of the top member across the top of the basket is substantially prevented, and at the same time, the likelihood of the outer hoop of the basket being sheared of is substantially eliminated. It will be evident, of course, from the foregoing that the invention is capable of considerable modification, since only the preferred form thereof has been illustrated; in view of which it is to be understood that the invention is to belimited not by the illustrated embodiment, but only by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. The combination of a basket having` inner and outer hoops with splint ends therebetween substantially iiush with `the tops of the-hoops and a cover member having a pair of hoops, one fitting snugly around the outer hoop of the basket and the other resting upon the top of said outer hoop and upon the ends of said splints.

2. The combination of a basket having inner and cuter hoops with splint ends therebetween substantially flush with the tops of the hoops and 195 a cover member having a pair of hoops, one ,tting snu y around the outer hoop of the basket and the other resting upon 4the top of said outer hoop and upon the ends of said splints and be.- ing of a thickness at least as great as the com- 131.0 bined thicknesses ofrsaid outer hoop and the splints adjaoentthereto.-

l3. The combination of a basket having inner outer hoops and splints therebetween,v the ends of said Vsplints being substantially flush 1.1.5 with the top of said outer hoop, a cover member having a pair of concentric contactingv hoops, one of which lits snugly around the outer hoop of said basket andthe other of which yrests upon the top of said outer hoop and uponthe ends of said splints.

4. A top for a basket of the character de- Vscribed comprising a pair of concentric contactn JOHN M. WALLACE; l 

